— That’s right, — I replied with a composed smile as I gathered my things. — That scientist is me. His face turned pale.
He stammered, tripping over words about how he admired my research and was eager to hear my talk on AI ethics and neural computation. I gave a small, polite smile and exited the plane before him. He remained seated, like all the air had been knocked out of him.
I truly hope this experience teaches him something: you don’t get to decide someone’s worth based on their appearance. And you never know who you’re sitting next to.
